Fusaric acid, i.e. 4-butyl-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid, the 3- and/or 6-(alkoxy, amino, halo or hydroxy)-derivatives thereof, or halofusaric amides of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,914,239 or 3,935,221, are known antihypertensive agents, by virtue of their vasodilating and dopamine-.beta.-hydroxylase inhibitory action, but they also produce tachycardia. Surprisingly, it was found that 2-pyridinecarboxylic acids having a special etherified hydroxy or mercapto group in the 5-position, instead of an alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy or cycloalkoxy group therein, which are not dopamine-.beta.-hydroxylase inhibitors, and produce less tachycardia. Therefore, they are valuable hypotensive agents with minimal cardiac and other side-effects.